Rotary cultivator.



u. s. BROWN. ROTARY GULTIVATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1910.972,503, Patented 00t.11,1910.

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U. S. BROWN. ROTARY GULTIVATOB. ArrLwnron FILED JAN. 10, .1910.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

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To all whom it may concern:

ULYSSES S. BROWN, OF LOG-ANSPOR'I, INDIANA.

ROTARY CULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed January 10, 1910. Serial No. 537,275.

Be it known that I, ULYSSES S. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Cultivators; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

This invention relates to the class of implements that are designed tobe used for destroying weeds and loosening the earth between rows ofgrowing corn or other grain or vegetables, the invention havingreference more particularly to a cultivator that is designed to chop theweeds and therefore more effectually destroy them, and to lift and turnover the earth in order to thoroughly pulverize it.

The object of the invention is to provide a cultivator that will becapable of thoroughly breaking up the earth as is desired and not merelyturn over large clods of the earth as is frequently done by cultivatorsheretofore used, a further object being to so construct and operate thecultivat ing devices that they will be adapted in operation to cut orchop the weeds besides digging them up and turning them over, in orderto far as possible immediately kill the weeds and thus prevent them fromagain taking root, a still further object being to provide a doublesulky cultivator that will be adapted to fulfil the requirements inaccordance with the above-mentioned and other objects.

The invention consists in a rotary cultivator comprising one or morerotatable cultivating devices each including one or more blades adaptedto be forced downward into the ground to cut the weeds and earth and toturn them over, and gearing adapted to be actuated by rolling contactwith the ground for rotating the cultivating device or devices fasterthan the prime mover that is actuated by rolling contact with theground; and the invention consists further in the parts and combinationsand arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and thendefined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvedcultivator sponding elements or features of construction referred toherein.

The main frame may in part be of well known or any other suitableconstruction and comprises preferably an arched axle consisting of ahorizontal member 1, two vertical members 2 and 2 and two axle ends 3and 3 that are mounted in carrying wheels 4 and 4; two horizontal framemembers 5 and 5 secured between their ends to the member 1 and adjacentto the members 2 and 2 of the axle, the forward ends of the framemembers being closer together than the rear ends thereof and connectedby a horizontal frame member 6 to which a tongue 7 is attached, thetongue being at-' tached also to the member 1 of the axle and having adouble-tree 8 connected thereto by a pin 9 slightly forward of the framemem her (3, the double-tree carrying pivots 10 and 10 on the under sidesof its ends, the pivots having equalizers 11 and 11 connected theretoand provided at their lower ends with pivots 12 and 12 to which areconnected draft rods 13 and 13 that are connected to the upright members2 and 2 of the axle by means of pivot bolts 14 and 14:. The equalizers11 and 11 are provided between their ends with draft eyes 15, 15, towhich swingle-trees 16, 16, are connected for draft purposes and towhich horses may be hitched as usual. A beam 17 is mounted on the rearends of the frame members 5 and 5 and supports the drivers seat 18 at asuitable distance rearward of the axle and in alinement with the tongue.The main frame comprises also two members 19 and 19 that extend downwardfrom the forward ends of the frame members 5 and 5 and ends of themember 6 and are provided with braces 20 and 20 that are connected tothe lower portions thereof and also to the members 5 and 5.

The channel-iron and angle-iron are preferably employed where suitablein the construction of the main frame and axle. The lower ends of theframe members 19 and 19 are each provided with a vertical pivot as 21 or21 for drawing the cultlvatlng devices on the ground, there being two adustable cultivator frames connected to the pivots of the main frame, thecultivator frames comprising pivot-heads 22 and 22 mounted on the pivots21 and 21 respectlvely, and provided with horizontal pivots 23 and 23 towhich the forward ends of frame beams 2i and 24; are connected, thebeams preferably composed of channel iron bars having filling pieces 25and 25 1n the channels. The frames comprise also transverse bars 26 and26 having each a pair of legs 27 and 27 on its ends and arranged so thatthe legs 27 of the two frames are outermost and operate as right handand left hand frames, the bars 26 and 26 being provided with bearingplates 28 and 28 respectively having each a pivot hole 29 thereinwhereby the plate is connected by means of a plvotbolt 30 to thelongitudinal beam 2 1 or 24:, the bearing plates also having each acurved slot 31 therein through which a bolt 32 extends and secures abearing plate adjustably to the beam, so that when the rear ends ofbeams 24 and 2% are spread apart or drawn together the bars 26 and 26may be readjusted relatively to the beams to bring the bars intoalinement. The lower ends of the legs 27 and 27 are provided withjournal boxes 33 and 33 having caps 34: and 3a 1n which are mountedcultivator shafts 35 and 35 in reverse arrangement, the shafts havingeach a pair of guide collars or flanges 36 and 36 thereon that run insuitable recesses in the journal boxes and aid in preventing the legsfrom spreading apart.

Each cultivating device comprises two hubs 37 and 37 secured to thecultivator shaft and having each a suitable number of arms 38, 38thereon to which are secured a suitable number of blades 39, there beingpreferably three blades, as 39, 39, 39", carried by each cultivatorshaft. The arms on the hubs are all equal in length, but the arms on onehub are so set or placed that they lead the arms on the companion huband the blades are twisted correspondingly, one end of each blade,therefore striking the ground in advance of the opposite end, so thatshearing cuts in the ground result in operation. The blades of each gangare arranged so as to be adapted to throw the earth from them toward theopposite gang, and therefore drawing the earth slightly to ward the rowof plants between the two gangs of cultivating devices. The shafts 35and 35 extend through the journal boxes of the legs 27, and one shafthas a small sprocket wheel 40 secured thereto at the outer side of theleg, the upper portion of the leg having a stud axle 41 mounted thereonthat rotatably supports a sprocket wheel as that is relatively largerthan the sprocket wheel i0, the two sprocket wheels being operativelyconnected together by means of a sprocket chain 4:3. The other shaft 35is similarly provided with a sprocket wheel 40, the leg 27 of the othercultivator frame carrying an axle tl on which is a large sprocket wheel42' connected with the smaller sprocket-wheel by a sprocket-chain 43. Apair of driving wheels are provided for rotating the cultivating devicesand comprise hubs M and 44 mounted on the axles 1 -t1 and 4:1 andconnected to the larger sprocket-wheels 42 and 12, respectively, so asto rotate the sprocket wheels, each hub H and ett having a suitablenumber of arms as 15, 45 thereon, there being a sufficient number ofarms to enable the wheel to roll on the ground and to be rotated bycontact with the ground, the ends of the arms being adapted to slightlypenetrate the surface of the ground. it will be understood, of course, 1j

that the wheels may be variously modified in detail, so as to operatemost efiectively on the ground which may be of diflerent character indifferent sections of the country. The sprocket-wheels and chains areprotected from the soil by suitable casings comprising preferably each aplate 16 attached to the leg 27, and a box 47 connected to the plate andextending around the gearing.

The two cultivator frames are adjustably connected together at theirrear or movable ends by means of a yoke and connections, the beams 24and 24: being provided with swiveled jaws 48 and 48 respectively, thathave each a shank 49 mounted rotatably in the beam, the yoke comprisinga horizontal arch member 50 and vertical members 51 and 51 from thelower ends of which extend horizontal members and 52 having a suitablenumber of pin holes 53 and 53 therein whereby they are connectedadjustably to the jaws by pins 57f: and 5+1.

In order to control the cultivating devices and also to carry them freefrom the ground when not in use, a pair of lever stands 55 and 55 aremounted upon the main frame and have each a notch 56 and also a suitablenumber of notches 57 in the upper portion thereof, a pair of levers 58and 58" being mounted on the stands and provided each with a lug 57adapted to be moved into the notches, the levers being elasticlaterally, or other suitable latching devices obviously may be employedif preferred. The levers have arms 59 and 59 thereon respectively towhich stiff links 60 and 60 are connected and provided each with a stoppin 61, coilsprings 62 and 62 being mounted on the links and engagingthe stop pins and also the beams 2e. and 24:, the links extendingthrough apertures 63 in the beams and having pin-holes 64 therein toreceive pins 65 that may engage the under sides of the beams to enablethe levers to lift the beams, the springs normally holding the beamsdown yieldingly, so that the cultivator blades may be forced into theground by means of the levers, the springs permitting the blades to passover stones or the like. A pair of foot rests 66 and 66 are mounted onthe tops of the bars 26 and 26 of the cultivator frames, so that thedriver may be enabled to guide the cultivating devices away from theplants if necessary.

In practical use the cultivator is drawn forward in the usual manner bymeans of animals, and the driver when sitting on the seat 18 may readilyguide the animals which obviously guide the machine With the cultivatingdevices at opposite sides of a row of plants. The driver may readilyreach and manipulate the controlling levers, as may be desired, andcontrol the depth to which the ground is desired to be loosened. As themachine rolls along the ground it will be clear that the driving wheelsof the cultivating devices must also roll, the ends of the arms thereofconstituting their peripheries in effect, and it will be clear that thelarger sprocket wheels connected with the smaller sprocket wheels mustr0- tate the cultivating devices faster than the rate of rotation of thedriving wheels, with the result that the cultivator blades dig into theearth and throw the earth upward and rearward, so that the earth becomeseffectually loosened and in operation the blades also cut and turn overthe weeds. The two gangs may be readily readjusted each with respect tothe other when desired as hereinbefore described. hen moving from onefield to another or elsewhere and in turning at the ends of rows thecultivator frames may be elevated on movement of the controlling leversforward, and latching them by means of the notches 56 in the leverstands.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A cultivator including carrying wheels, a main frame mounted in thewheels, a cultivator frame connected at one end thereof to the mainframe and comprising two legs, a shaft mounted rotatively in the twolegs, cultivating devices mounted on the shaft between the two legs, agear-wheel secured to the shaft adjacent to one of the two legs, atraction-wheel mounted rotatively on the said leg with its axis abovethe shaft, and gearing adjacent to said leg connected with thetraction-wheel and the gear-wheel.

2. A cultivator including carrying wheels, a main frame mounted in thewheels, a cultivator frame connected to the main frame and comprisingtwo legs, one leg having an axle on one side thereof, each leg having ajournal-box on the end thereof that has a recess therein, a shaftmounted in the journal-box and having collars thereon that extend intothe recesses, the shaft extending through one of the journal-boxes andhaving a small sprocket-wheel thereon, cultivator-blades mounted on theshaft, a large sprocket-wheel rotative on the axle and hav ing a hubthereon, arms on the hub, a sprocket-chain connected with thesprocketwheels, a plate attached to the leg that has the axle thereon,and a box connected to the plate and therewith inclosing thesprocketwheels and the sprocket-chain.

3. A cultivator including carrying wheels, a main frame mounted in thewheels, a cultivator-frame comprising a beam and two legs connected tothe beam, the beam being connected loosely to the main frame, a shaftmounted rotatably in the legs and having a small sprocket-wheel securedthereto, a plurality of cultivating-blades carried by the shaft, an axleattached to one of the legs, a sprocket-wheel rotative on the axle andhaving a hub thereon, arms on the hub, and a sprocket-chain connectedoperatively with the two sprocket-wheels.

4. A cultivator including a pair of carrying wheels, a main framemounted in the wheels, a pair of cultivator-frames connected to the mainframe to move pivotally in vertical and horizontal directions andprovided each with a pair of legs, one leg of each pair having an axlethereon, a pair of shafts each mounted rotatably in a pair of legs andhaving a pair of hubs and also a gear wheel secured thereto, the hubshaving arms thereon, blades carried by the arms, two

driving wheels each rotatable on one of the axles, and two gear wheelseach connected to one of the driving-wheels to be driven thereby andoperatively conneceted also with one of the gear-wheels of the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ULYSSES S. BROWN. Witnesses Gno. WV. VVALTERs, OTTO A. SoHoRMEYER.

